Comments please.

[Geoff]

First try at posting photos. I found this comb in one of my new hives which I have replaced with new foundation.
     Hope pictures are clear enough for anyones comments.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c85/gawhitelaw/?action=view&current=IMG_0052.jpg

(image link fixed by eivindm, 2005-12-07)

[Finsky]

First try at posting photos. I found this comb in one of my new hives which I have replaced with new foundation.
     Hope pictures are clear enough for anyones comments.

But what is the problem? There has been some brood in that frame.
That is Ok, in quite new condition.

[Michael Bush]

I'm with Finsky.  Looks like a perfectly good comb to me.

[Finsky]

I looked again the picture.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c85/gawhitelaw/?action=view&current=IMG_0052.jpg

The grey color in right corner, is it mould or soot or dark dust?

It may happen that if the walls of cell are ruined by mould, bees tear walls away and build new ones. That is why bottom may be very black and walls are new.

If bees visit in the chimney they carry soot with their hairs and goes into wax. We have often feral hives in house chimney.

But old combs are such alike.

[Diver]

I agree.

You say you have replaced with new foundation Did you mean before you found the comb or after? If it was before and the foundation filled the frame now it is drawn there are holes in the corners, bees somtimes do tear holes in the foundation.

[Geoff]

The photography probably flattered the color of the comb. It is quite a lot darker than it looks & the number of places where the wax has been chewed away does not show up as well.
            Diver, when I took this frame out I then replaced it with a complete new frame & foundation.

[Finsky]

I took this frame out I then replaced it with a complete new frame & foundation.

It really seems to me that the right end of frame (1/4) have got condensation moisture and mould have developed in new part of wax and in walls of cells.

That is the reason why I put a foundation against the wall for winter. If the edge frame is old mould attaches very easily to those combs. In nature same happens and bees tear rotten spoiled wax away. Mold eat the layers of cocoon silk in the cell. That is why old cell walls are like swollen.  Mould may be white or blue in our country. If dead bees are so plenty that they reach the lowest comb, those parts will be ruined by blue mould. BleebShit happens, we say.

You renewed it. It is well done. I have had those more than enough. I kept combs too long. When you sniff the full of these frames odor is not fresh like in new combs. This odor goes to the taste of honey.